The Best Sports Bras for Large Breasts (2024)

The encapsulation, underwire design of this best-selling Wacoal sports bra offers ultimate support for a bounce-free workout. The padded cups offer individual support for each breast to prevent movement in all directions. This bra features wide, adjustable straps and a hook-and-eye closure in the back that testers found a bit tricky to get on at first. It's available in over 20 shades with thousands of rave online reviews.

Testers were impressed with its attractive appearance under clothes and its comfort with one saying, "I loved the fit — it was surprisingly comfortable for an underwire bra, and it stayed put, no strap slipping or sliding around. Very supportive."

Size range: 32-42 (C-H) | Style: Encapsulation | Materials: 80% nylon, 20% spandex | Closure: Hook-and-eye | Care: Machine wash and air dry only

While most sports bras for large breasts tend to be quite pricey, this affordable option from Champion starts at just $28. This bra has molded, built-in cups without an underwire, designed for running and other high-intensity exercises.

While we haven't yet tested this style yet, Champion sports bras tend to perform very well in our Lab tests and are popular among testers for excellent support and security, keeping everything in place. We appreciate the mesh detailing to allow more airflow and the wide, adjustable straps. Plus, this bra has over 13,000 Amazon reviews.

Size range: 34-42 (A-DDD) | Style: Compression with molded cups | Materials: Cotton, nylon, polyester and spandex | Closure: Hook-and-eye | Care: Machine wash and tumble dry low

Confidently join your next HITT or CrossFit class with this high-impact encapsulation style bra from ThirdLove. The molded cups are hidden behind stretchy fabric, which testers loved for a more attractive look. We appreciate that you have the option to cross and uncross the wide, adjustable straps for racerback support.

In Lab testing, the inner fabric easily wicked away moisture, but the bottom band did stretch out a bit in stretch recovery evaluations. Giving high marks for support, testers especially liked that the straps are "wide and stay in place" and how "easy it was to put on and take off."

Size range: 32-44 (A-H) | Style: Encapsulation with compression| Materials: 88% polyester, 12% spandex | Closure: Hook-and-eye | Care: Machine wash and air dry only

Designed for maximum support without becoming shapeless, this high-impact sports bra from Knix has encapsulation cups without an underwire. The wide straps and back help keep everything in place without any digging in or bunching. This style is currently available in 17 shades and 13 different sizes, accommodating band sizes from 28 to 42. Make sure to look at the size chart closely as Knix has its own sizing system.

Obsessed with its comfortable fit, one tester raved, "it's the most comfortable sports bra I've ever owned." Another tester exclaimed that "I love that it has the adjustable bands around your ribcage — a rare find in sports bras and wonderful for someone with a smaller frame but a bigger chest." GH pros tested the front zip version of this bra, but most testers preferred not having a front zipper as they feared it would come undone.

Size range: 28-42 (A-F) | Style: Encapsulation with compression| Materials: Body: 59% nylon, 41% spandex; Lining: 86% nylon, 14% spandex | Closure: Hook-and-eye | Care: Machine wash and lay flat to dry

Fitting up to a 50 band and J cup size, this Glamorise sports bra is an Amazon best seller for offering an impressive size range with ample support. It features reinforced, lightly lined (not padded) cups and a mesh camisole design to keep you fully covered — no more spilling out of your sports bras. We especially appreciate that this bra has padded, adjustable straps and uses breathable materials while being at an affordable price point.

We haven't tested this style yet, but it has over 30,000 rave online reviews. This bra is available in 11 different shades including classic neutrals, chic blues and bold pinks. Online reviewers say it's "true to size" and "comfortable," but some wish it offered more breast separation.

Size range: 34-50 (C-J) | Style: Encapsulation without an underwire | Materials: 70% polyester, 25% polyamide, 5% elastane | Closure: Hook-and-eye | Care: Machine wash and air dry

While encapsulation style sports bras offer ultimate support and lift, testers with large cup sizes were blown away by this Girlfriend Collective bra that offers ample compression without padding. Designed for low- to medium-impact exercise, this sports bra is ideal for yoga, Pilates, barre and other studio classes.

With options up to a 6XL, testers appreciated the inclusive size range and compressive fit without feeling too restricted. One tester exclaimed "it holds in the girls and looks super flattering. [It] makes me feel super confident," while another said "I never opt for sports bras without padding because those typically feel so uncomfortably compressive against my large bust, but this bra is both compressive and comfortable. The fabric feels soft against my skin and the style is cut in a highly flattering way." The material did not wick away moisture as well as other styles, so it's better suited for less sweaty workouts.

Size range: XXS-6XL | Style: Compression without padding| Materials: 79% RPET and 21% spandex | Closure: Pull-on | Care: Machine wash and line dry

Comfortably bend and stretch into poses with a sports bra that moves with you: this Athleta bra offers a higher neck and longline design for ample coverage to wear as a crop top or under a shirt. Testers loved that the fabric feels "buttery soft" and they especially appreciated the built-in bra with removable pads for additional support. Note that this style only goes up to a D-DD+ cup size.

In the Lab, the fabric maintained its shape after laundering and stretch reovery testing. We did notice that the material didn't wick away moisture as well as other styles becaue it is designed for lower impact exercise. Testers said they "wear this bra constantly" because it's "so versatile" and "very supportive."

Size range: XXS-3X | Style: Compression with padding| Materials: Nylon and spandex | Closure: Pull-on | Care: Machine wash and dry

Panache is a popular bra brand catering to wearers with large cup sizes. With options up to a J cup size, this underwire style bra from Panache has a more similar look to a normal bra compared to other featured sports bras. With the option for a racerback fit, this bra prioritizes support with molded cups and adjustable straps.

In our bra tests, this Panache sports bra earned a perfect durability score, showing no signs of wear or shrinkage after laundering. Testers gave high marks for comfort and support, but lower scores for appearance. One tester raved “the cup size was perfect. Great support and separation. I didn't know that I could find a sports bra that will fit me well!”

Size range: UK sizing 28-40 (cup sizes A-J) | Style: Encapsulation | Materials: 49% polyamide, 36% polyester, 15% elastane | Closure: Hook-and-eye | Care: Hand wash or dry clean

A racerback design helps keeps your bust lifted and secure during strenuous exercise. Acing Lab testing and being a tester favorite, this underwire, encapsulation sports bra from Freya has thick adjustable straps with the option for a racerback. The wide straps and bottom band help prevent shifting, ideal for cardio exercise.

Especially popular among testers with cup sizes D through H, this sports bra was a tester favorite for its flattering design and excellent breast separation capabilities. One tester noted "it certainly held them in there tight! There was no pain from breasts moving up and down while running and such, which often happens, even with tight sports bras. I like that it has separate cups (instead of one massive uni-boob)." Some testers had fit issues, notably that it was too tight, so you may need to size up. Note that this pick is hand wash only.

Size range: 28-40 (cup sizes B-I) | Style: Encapsulation | Materials: 69% polyester, 28% nylon, 3% elastane | Closure: Hook-and-eye | Care: Hand wash only

Running and other cardio exercises require a high impact sports bra to prevent bounce as you move. This Brooks bra is specifically designed for running with removable padding and bonded seams and edges to reduce chafing or irritation. There is a phone pocket on the back of the bra, but most testers didn't find it comfortable to exercise with items in the pocket.

Testers loved the "super smooth material" that easily wicked away moisture in Lab evaluations. One said "because it is so compressive, there is little chance for any uncomfortable movement when running or performing jumping exercises" and another agreed, remarking "I felt totally supported even while running." Note that the material is very compressive, so much so that GH pros couldn't even stretch it enough to do stretch recovery tests, so some testers found it challenging to get on and off.

Size range: 30-38 (cup sizes A-E) | Style: Compression with padding| Materials: Polyester and spandex | Closure: Pull-on | Care: Machine wash and line dry

To test 50 different sports bra styles, consumer testers logged 700 hours of exercise in these bras and GH fiber scientists tested each style in the Lab, leading to over 5,000 data points to analyze before making these selections.

✔️ Stretch recovery: As pictured above, analysts stretched each sports bra a set amount to see how well the bottom band returned to its original shape.

✔️ Consumer testing: A sports bra that's great for an A-cup may not be supportive enough for a DD-cup. Therefore, we make sure to include testers with a range of cup sizes and fitness routines when testing sports bras. To find the best sports bras for large busts, we had testers with over a D cup size (up to an H cup size) wear these bras while exercising before giving feedback on comfort, support, appearance, chafing and more.

✔️ Moisture management: Analysts dropped water on the inside cups to rate how well the material wicked away moisture.

✔️ Washability: To avoid styles that shrunk or became damaged in the wash, we launder each bra according to its care label and then rate any observed shrinkage or changes in appearance. GH pros also note if the styles have cumbersome care instructions like hand wash only.

✔️ Construction features: Lastly, analysts review each bra and note important construction features like if there's a racerback option, adjustable straps, removable padding and more.

✔️ Compression vs. encapsulation: These terms are generally seen in sports bras' product descriptions. Compression bras hug against your body while encapsulation bras separate breasts for individual support. For larger cup sizes, we recommend encapsulation styles sports bras (or a combo of both encapsulation and compression) for ultimate support and lift, especially for high-intensity exercise.

✔️ Straps: Wide, thick, adjustable straps offer customizable support for larger breasts without painful digging in. Many testers also noted that they prefer styles that have a racerback design as well for the additional lift too.

✔️ Impact level: The best sports bra for running is not going to be the best sports bra for yoga. Lower compression bras feel less restrictive when bending, ideal for yoga and other lower impact workouts. On the other hand, high-impact sports bras with encapsulation and compression help prevent bounce, necessary for cardio workouts like running and HIIT classes.

✔️ Padding: Compression style sports bras sometimes feature padding or removable cups to help create a rounded shape and nipple coverage. Testers with larger cup sizes tended to like a bit of padding to help prevent a "uni-boob," but others liked the option to remove the padding entirely.

✔️ Moisture-wicking material: If your bra is not moisture-wicking, not only will you feel sweaty, but it can actually cause painful chafing and rubbing from the extra sweat (minimal seams also help prevent chafing too). Confirm if the material is actually moisture-wicking by placing a small drop of water on the inside fabric: it should spread out quickly, but if the water beads up, it is not a moisture-wicking material.

✔️ Sizing: A well-fitting sports bra is of the utmost importance to ensure a comfortable feel and proper support. Look at the brand's size chart and don't be surprised if you wear a slightly different size than your usual everyday T-shirt bra size. It should fit snugly — tighter than a regular bra to hold you in, but it shouldn't feel constricting or uncomfortable.